AKRON, Ohio, Jan. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Corp. (FE) has been included in the 2019 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI) in recognition of its commitment to women's equality in the workplace. The GEI uses a standardized reporting framework to evaluate gender equality initiatives based on company statistics, employee policies, external community support and engagement, and gender-conscious product offerings. Companies scoring above a globally established threshold are included in the GEI. The index doubled in size from 2018 to include 230 companies across 10 industry sectors.

# FirstEnergy Corp
### NYSE:FE
View full report here!
## Summary
* Perception of the company's creditworthiness is positive
* Bearish sentiment is moderate and declining
* Economic output in this company's sector is contracting
## Bearish sentiment
Short interest | Positive
Short interest is moderate for FE with between 5 and 10% of shares outstanding currently on loan. However, this was an improvement in sentiment as investors who seek to profit from falling equity prices reduced their short positions on December 28.
## Money flow
ETF/Index ownership | Neutral
ETF activity is neutral. The net inflows of $4.73 billion over the last one-month into ETFs that hold FE are not among the highest of the last year and have been slowing.
## Economic sentiment
PMI by IHS Markit
There is no PMI sector data available for this security.
## Credit worthiness
Credit default swap | Positive
The current level displays a positive indicator. FE credit default swap spreads are decreasing, indicating some improvement in the market's perception of the company's credit worthiness. Additionally, they are within the middle of the range set over the last three years.
Please send all inquiries related to the report to score@ihsmarkit.com.
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AKRON, Ohio, Jan. 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Corp. (FE) utility personnel are prepared to respond to outages caused by heavy snow, freezing rain and ice, and high winds forecast for the eastern U.S. this weekend. Company meteorologists are monitoring Winter Storm Harper, a complex storm system that will affect FirstEnergy's service areas in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey. While some snow is forecast for later today, Harper's severe weather is expected to hit the region on Saturday and Sunday. Some FirstEnergy areas could see more than 24 inches of snow, while others could experience freezing rain and significant ice accumulations along with high winds. In addition, heavy rains could cause flooding in parts of West Virginia and Maryland.

Utilities: Analyzing Gains and Losses Last Week(Continued from Prior Part)Top gainers in 2018 On average, utilities rose 2% in 2018. Including dividends, they returned more than 5%, while broader markets lost 6% in 2018. NRG Energy (NRG) and AES

"The dedication of FirstEnergy's crews to restoring service throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey after a series of thunderstorms illustrates our industry's commitment to customers," said EEI President Tom Kuhn. "FirstEnergy's crews worked tirelessly in hazardous conditions to quickly and safely restore power.

Analyzing Utilities in the Week Ending January 4
(Continued from Prior Part)
## Valuation
FirstEnergy (FE) stock seems to have an attractive valuation. FirstEnergy has a lower valuation multiple than its historical average and peers’ average. FirstEnergy’s forward PE ratio, based on analysts’ 2019 EPS estimate, is 14x. The company’s five-year historical average is ~17x. First Energy’s peers’ average is also close to similar levels. FirstEnergy is among the top-gaining utility (XLU) stocks in 2018. The company’s business mix improved last year. FirstEnergy became an entirely regulated utility. The company’s earnings and dividend profile are expected to stabilize in the coming quarters.
## Are utilities a good bargain?
American Electric Power (AEP) stock is trading at a forward PE ratio of 17.7x based on its EPS estimates in 2019. American Electric Power’s five-year historical average valuation is close to 17x. American Electric Power looks to be trading at a premium valuation compared to its peers and its historical average. Xcel Energy (XEL), one of the top regulated utilities, is trading at a forward PE ratio of 18.5x—marginally lower than its five-year historical average.
Exelon (EXC) stock has a forward PE ratio of 14x, which is lower than many of its peers’ ratios and its five-year average of ~17x. Exelon reported solid earnings growth in 2018. The stock rallied more than 16% last year. The company’s earnings growth is expected to slow down in 2019 based on the estimates.
Read NEE, DUK, SO, and D: How Are Top Utility Stocks Valued in 2019? to learn more.
Continue to Next Part
Browse this series on Market Realist:
* Part 1 - Utilities: Gains and Losses Last Week
* Part 2 - XLU: What to Expect from Utilities in 2019
* Part 3 - Utilities versus Broader Markets’ Total Returns

GREENSBURG, Pa. , Jan. 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The FirstEnergy Foundation has donated $25,000 to support Fill a Glass with Hope®, the first statewide charitable fresh milk program in the nation. The grant ...

The settlement was negotiated by the utilities, PSC Staff, the Consumer Advocate Division, and the West Virginia Energy Users Group. The new rates began Jan. 1, 2019 and remain in place until Dec. 31, 2019. As a result, the monthly bill for a typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity will decrease by about 2.2 percent or $2.42, which includes $2.13 for fuel and purchased power costs and $.29 for the elimination of the energy efficiency surcharge. The monthly bill for the companies' typical West Virginia customers will drop to $105.83 from the current $108.25.

Of the 18 analysts tracking FirstEnergy (FE), eight recommend “buy,” six recommend “hold,” and four recommend “strong buy.” Their median target price of $40.70 for the stock implies a ~14% upside over the next 12 months based on its current price of $35.80.

FirstEnergy’s (FE) forward dividend yield is 4.2%—higher than many top utilities’ and just below its five year average of ~4.8%. Meanwhile, the Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF’s (XLU) forward yield is 3.4%, Xcel Energy’s (XEL) is 3.3%, and Consolidated Edison’s (ED) is 3.9%. FirstEnergy’s dividend growth has been disappointing, mainly due to its relatively unstable earnings.

FirstEnergy (FE) stock’s valuation is lower than its historical average and peers’ average. Its forward PE multiple, based on analysts’ 2019 EPS estimate, is 14x. Meanwhile, its five-year historical average is ~17x and peers’ average is ~15x.

Utilities have been following a downtrend recently, plummeting more than 10% since early last week. One of the top-gaining utility stocks this year, FirstEnergy (FE), is currently trading weakly at $35.80, ~6% and ~1% below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, respectively. Going forward, $36.10 and $38 could act as a resistance for the stock.

FE credit default swap spreads are at their highest levels for the past 1 year, which indicates the market's more negative perception of the company's credit worthiness. Please send all inquiries related to the report to score@ihsmarkit.com.

Utilities: How the Worst Week for Markets Played Out(Continued from Prior Part)Valuation Let’s take a look at the valuations of the top-rallied utilities in 2018. One of the smallest constituents of the Utilities ETF (XLU), AES (AES) is trading at a forward PE ratio of 11.